Tilt Deck Launch Vehicle for Highwall Mining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current highwall mining systems are inefficient and cumbersome when mining seams with steep slopes, as they struggle to maintain coal on the conveyor belt at steep angles, leading to coal falling off and risks of conveyor cars flipping during loading and unloading.
Innovation Solution
A launch vehicle with a pivotally attached launch deck and a deck lift assembly that allows the deck to tilt relative to a fixed conveyor belt, enabling the conveyor train to align with the seam's entry angle, maintaining the conveyor belt in a horizontal orientation for efficient coal transport and reducing the risk of conveyor car flipping during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the launch vehicle uses a fixed horizontal conveyor belt for coal transport, then coal transport efficiency is maintained, but the system cannot adapt to steep seam slopes causing coal to fall off and conveyor cars to flip
Solution Approach 1:
The launch deck is made dynamically tiltable relative to the conveyor belt through the deck lift assembly. The deck can be tilted to match the seam's dip angle during mining operations, allowing the conveyor belt to remain horizontal while the deck adjusts to steep slopes. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by maintaining coal retention on the horizontal belt while adapting to varying seam geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The launch vehicle is segmented into distinct functional components: a fixed horizontal conveyor belt for coal transport and a separately tiltable launch deck for positioning mining equipment. This segmentation allows the conveyor belt to maintain a stable horizontal orientation for reliable coal transport while the launch deck independently adjusts to match steep seam angles, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Productivity
If the launch deck is tilted to match steep seam angles, then the conveyor train can align with the seam for efficient mining, but conveyor cars are at risk of flipping during loading and unloading
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the launch deck angle to match the seam's dip angle, enabling the conveyor train to align with steep seams for efficient mining. The deck lift assembly provides controlled tilting capability, allowing the deck to be tilted during mining operations and returned to horizontal for safe loading and unloading of conveyor cars, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The launch deck is returned to a horizontal orientation before loading and unloading conveyor cars. This preliminary action eliminates the flipping risk by ensuring the deck is in a safe, stable position during these critical operations, while still allowing the deck to be tilted to match seam angles during actual mining operations for maximum productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the entire launch vehicle is tilted to match the seam angle, then coal can be conveyed at the correct angle, but the system becomes cumbersome and difficult to relocate
Solution Approach 1:
The launch vehicle is segmented into a fixed horizontal base structure and a separately tiltable launch deck. This segmentation allows the deck to be tilted for seam alignment without tilting the entire vehicle, simplifying relocation operations while maintaining adaptability to steep seams. The conveyor belt remains horizontal on the fixed base, avoiding the complexity of tilting the whole system.
Solution Approach 2:
Only the launch deck is made dynamically tiltable through the deck lift assembly, while the rest of the launch vehicle remains fixed and horizontal. This selective dynamics approach allows the system to adapt to varying seam angles without making the entire vehicle complex or difficult to relocate, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for efficient and practical highwall mining in steep seams by maintaining coal on the conveyor belt and minimizing the risk of conveyor car flipping, facilitating easier relocation of the mining system.
Implementation Method 1
a deck lift assembly configured to effect controlled lifting and lowering of the launch deck to tilt the launch deck relative to the control deck
Implementation Method 2
a launch deck pivotally attached to the control deck
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this invention relate to highwall mining, and more particularly to a launch vehicle adapted for use in highwall mining of downward angled seams of mineable material, such as coal. More specifically, the provided launch vehicle includes a substantially horizontally oriented control deck, a launch deck pivotally attached to the control deck, and a substantially horizontally oriented conveyor belt. A miner and at least one conveyor car are positioned on the launch deck while the launch deck is in a substantially horizontal orientation, then the launch deck is tilted upward relative to the conveyor belt to substantially match a planned entry dip angle of the seam to be mined. As the miner and at least one conveyor car advance into the seam, the launch deck is returned to a substantially horizontal orientation, an additional conveyor car is added to the launch deck, and the launch deck is again tilted to substantially match the entry dip angle of the seam to connect the additional conveyor car as the rearmost car in the conveyor train.